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You'll soon be able to use any existing Android app in Daydream VR

You will no longer be limited to apps that are designed to work within Daydream VR.
By
September 21, 2018
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TL;DR
  • Google announced today that we will soon be able to use any Android app within Daydream VR space.
  • The feature will work much like using Google Chrome in VR, with a 2D app laid out in 3D space.
  • This new feature will broaden the applications of VR headsets significantly.

While virtual reality gear is really cool, it still seems like a niche product. If you’re not interested in playing VR games or conducting some specific task within VR, it seems like more of a “just for fun” purchase than anything else.

However, Google announced today that in the very near future, Daydream VR users will be able to open and use any Android app within a VR space. Games, productivity apps, video players, even your grocery list will all be accessible using your Daydream-supported visor.

As an example of what it will look like, Google posted this GIF of someone playing the Android game Mini Metro with a VR visor:

As you can see, the 2D game is laid out flat within 3D space, and you manipulate the “touchscreen” using the VR visor’s remote control.

This setup is very similar to the recently-unveiled Google Chrome for virtual reality. With your VR visor on, you can browse the web just like you would on a smartphone, with Chrome’s 2D layout spread across the screen. Check it out below:

Google must have figured out a way to apply the same technology used for Google Chrome to any other Android application.

Hands-on: Lenovo Mirage Solo is the first standalone Daydream headset
News

According to Google’s blog post on the matter, the new feature will be made available to developers first, presumably to allow them to test out their existing apps in VR before everyone gets access to them. Google didn’t give a hard date for that developer rollout, other than saying “soon.”

What do you think? Does this make you more inclined to purchase a VR visor, like the Lenovo Mirage Solo? Let us know in the comments!

NEXT: Mobile VR headsets – what are your best options?